Page 22 of We Are the Stars

“I’m not in a pissy mood.”

“No? So this is how you always are? Should make for a fun summer.”

He gives me a wolfish grin. “Ah, sarcasm at its finest.”

“You didn’t answer the question.”

“No, I’m not always this way. Just mostly.”

“How promising. Can I get back to my break now?”

“You only have ten minutes left.”

“Where did I lose five? When you came back here to hound me about what I’m doing wrong? Again? That hardly seems fair.”

His eyes darken. “Life isn’t fair,Elliott.”

He expects me to argue.

I don’t. All I say is, “Can I have my nine minutes now?”

He takes a deep breath and nods then leaves me to myself.

I slink down in the chair even farther, already exhausted from my first day. It’s not the work that has me tired.

It’s Carsen.

I’ve steered clear of him nearly all day. I don’t want to give him any hints that I know who he is and what happened to his mother. I’ve been careful not to glance his way too long or watch him too closely. I don’t want him to think I’m watching him like he’s on display, because I’m not—well, not for the reason he probably thinks I am.

I’m watching him because he intrigues me. He exudes an intimidating amount of irritation, but there are moments when his lips twitch at something Cal says, when his jaw unclenches when a kid asks him a question.Thosemoments are what have me glancing his way every now and then.

Not the fact that everyone’s accused him of murder.

I’m not everyone, and it’s clear to me that Carsen’s in a world of hurt.

He’s not the killer. He’s the victim.

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